Busting history myths

Myth one: The druids built Stonehenge

Initially constructed thousands of years ago, no one is 100 per cent sure who built Stonehenge, though it’s certain it was used for religious purposes. Evidence of human settlement dating back to around 7,000 BCE has been found close to the site, long before the known existence of druids.

Myth two: Feminists burned their bras in the sixties

There are no records of feminist activists burning their bras as an act of protest, though this myth endures as an icon of the movement. At a picket of the 1968 Miss America pageant, hundreds of feminist activists intended to burn a stack of feminine objects, but were stopped by the police.

Myth three: JFK said: “I am a jelly doughnut” in Berlin

26 June 1963 John F Kennedy’s proud statement “Ich bin ein Berliner” (“I am a Berliner”) is commonly believed to have been a mistake, referring to the Berliner doughnut in Germany. However, Kennedy’s inclusion of the word ‘ein’ was intended to give a more figurative rather than literal edge to his statement and is grammatically sound.

To view 20 of history’s biggest myths check out issue two of All About History

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